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It can cause daytime sleepiness that can seriously affect people's work and social lives and their ability to drive safely.

According to NHS Choices , sleep apnoea is when the throat narrows or closes during sleep and repeatedly interrupts your breathing.

Snoring is one of the symptoms of sleep apnoea (Image: Getty Images)

This causes the blood's oxygen levels to drop and the difficulty in breathing can cause the brain to wake you up.

The bad news is that this can happen hundreds of times a night without you realising - which leads to poor sleep quality and severe sleepiness during the day.

The good news, however, is that something can be done if you're diagnosed with sleep apnoea.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnoea?

As already mentioned, snoring is one of the symptoms of sleep apnoea. Of course, you might not be aware that you have problems breathing while asleep. Often, it could a friend, partner or a family member who notices.

However, you may notice these other symptoms:

episodes during sleep where you stop breathing

restless/unrefreshing sleep

frequent trips to the toilet every night

morning headaches

excessive daytime sleepiness and irritability

poor concentration

loss of libido

Overweight men aged between 30 and 65 are most likely to have it. Sleep apnoea appears to be less common in women.

Sleep apnoea also affects children, particularly if they have enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

What are the health risks of sleep apnoea?

" (Image: Getty Images)

It's important to know if you have sleep apnoea because, if it is left untreated, the condition can increase the risks of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

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People with sleep apnoea are also significantly more likely to have a road accident than other people - and tests show that drivers who are sleepy due to sleep apnoea perform worse than drivers with blood alcohol levels over the legal drink-drive limit.

How do I know if I have sleep apnoea?

Most people who have sleep apnoea can be diagnosed by doing a home recording. Recorders are available from special sleep clinics and can be worn overnight in bed.

These measure either just the blood oxygen level, or oxygen plus snoring, heart rate and breathing using sensors.

Before seeing your GP, it may be helpful to ask a partner, friend or relative to observe you while you're asleep, if possible. If you have obstructive sleep apnoea, or OSA, they may be able to spot episodes of breathlessness.